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Truthfully, New Fox Game Show 'Moment' Is Probably Going To Grow Old Fast

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

Do you think your wife's new pants make her look fat?

Is your husband a know-it-all who knows nothing?

Is your boss a jerk?

Did you ever waste an afternoon at your favorite watering hole instead of working?

Life is full of questions that we would rather not answer truthfully.

And that is the premise behind "The Moment of Truth," a new game show debuting at 9 tonight on Fox.

Fox did not provide a full episode for review. Only a few highlight clips were available, but it's easy to tell where this show is headed: Someone either will be embarrassed or get mad over a revelation.

Yes, it's an emotional freak show. Call Dr. Phil. He should be hosting this instead of Mark L. Walberg, who seems to be taking the whole thing very seriously when he asks such questions as "Have you ever made a sexy video and uploaded it to the Internet?"

The programming honchos at Fox know that watching people have emotional meltdowns is great sport in this country. The network is even bragging that "The Moment of Truth" represents "the end of civilization as we know it."

With a wink and a nudge, Fox urges its audience to go ahead, take the low road and be proud of it. After all, this is debuting after "American Idol," which is still wallowing in the audition process of weeding out the delusional.

On "The Moment of Truth," contestants will try to win $500,000 by answering 21 questions based on personal information gathered prior to the show. Family, friends and co-workers will be present to experience those painful moments of truth.
Sample questions provided by the producers include:

•Do you believe you are better-looking than your friends?

•Have you ever thought your parents would be better off if they divorced?

•Have you ever lied on a resume?

•Have you ever spied on co-workers in the bathroom?

One question that won't be asked: Have you no shame?

Various versions of this show have been hits in other countries. And in some places, the questions have been more personal and more risque.

Last fall, in a Colombian version, "Nothing But the Truth," a female contestant admitted that she had once hired a hit man to kill her ex-husband. She won $25,000 for being truthful, but the public reaction over rewarding her bad behavior was so negative that the show was taken off the air. Reportedly, the alleged hit man tipped off the husband and that's why he is an ex.

In the American version, questions deemed sexually explicit are off-limits, and supposedly there will be no questions that could embarrass or harm minors.

Some questions will be about innocuous petty crimes such as "Have you ever parked in a handicapped parking space?" or "Have you ever driven in the car-pool lane while alone in your car?"

Prior to filming, contestants are hooked up to a polygraph and asked 50 to 75 personal questions. They are not given the results of the polygraph, and they do not know which of the 21 questions will be asked.

Executive producer and creator Howard Schultz has said that the intent is not to destroy people and that the contestants are strong people with good self-esteem.

"I think the show is going to rock America," Schultz told The Associated Press. "I think it's going to be talked about around every water cooler and coffeepot in the country."

That's not likely to happen for long because this kind of show gets old fast. And even for those who want to take the low road, the revelations are not likely to be any more salacious or shocking than anything you might see on "Judge Judy" or "The Jerry Springer Show."

SPRINGER HERE: Speaking of Springer, he is scheduled to lecture on "Media and Society" at 8 p.m. Thursday at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He'll be taking the stage at the Sun Dome. Though the event is for students and faculty, the public can attend. Tickets are $8 and are available at the Sun Dome box office.

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